Muzzle.



No. 806,004. lPTENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

F. M. RWLAND.

. /m/E-/VTOR I FRANCIS M. ROW LA N D.

ATTORNEYS UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

FRANCIS MARION ROWLAND, F WEBBERS FALLS, INDIAN TERRITORY.v

i I MuzzLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Nov. 28, 17905..

Application filed July 26, 1905. Serial N o. 271,321. I

To all' whom zit-may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS MARION Row- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Webbers Falls, in district No.10, In-

-dian rI`erritory, have made certain new and-useful Improvements inMuzzles, of which the following is a specification.

.ularly in `that class of muzzles which are composed of hinged sectionsthat remain normally y closed, but are caused to open automatically whenthe animalA lowers his head, so as to v cause certain portions ofthemuzzle to strike k arrangement, and combination of parts Whereyor pressupon the ground', with the resultthat the animal may then graze withoutrestraint. I have devised an improved construction,

by I produce a durable, reliable, and automatically-,operating muzzle.

The details of the invention are as hereinafter described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 vis a sideview of the muzzle with the hinged sections in the open position. Fig. 2is a plan view of the muzzle with the hinged sections in the closedposition. Fig. 3 is a side view of the muzzle with the hinged sectionsclosed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of portions of the muzzle.

The hinged-sections or jaws A of the muzzle are composed of a series ofsemicircular sheet-metal bands 1, which radiatefrom common points andare connected at their divergent ends by means of sheet-metal bandsorstraps 2. The pivotal centers of the sections are at 3. th ey beingattached to a narrow sheetmetal band 4, which is circular inform andadapted to receive the nose of the animal. The headstall 6 has divergentside or cheek straps 6a, which are detachablly connected with thenose-band 4: at points located nearly equid-istantly, asindicatedin Fig.2, and keepers. 7 are attached to the nose-band 4: for holding the loopsof the straps 6a in due position. The said nose-band is provided with apad or cushion 5, the same being circular and eX- tending entirelyvaround the inner side of the band and being made somewhat wider lthanthe latter. It is supported in place by the loops ofthe headstallthrough which it passes. The sections A hang normallyy in closedposition by gravity, as' indicated inFigs.l 2 and 3, and when they arein this positionit is obvious the animal cannot graze. yThe sections areopened automatically-that is to say,

thrown outward and upward, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the animalmay graze without restraint-by means of the following devices: Curvedbars 8 are pivoted at 9 to the uppermost bands 1, and their lowerslotted ends are connectedby a screw 10 with vertical bars 11',"

l'which are adapted to slide in guides formed by the horizontal flangesl2 of a bracket 13. f f f The latter is attached by a screw-bolt orriveted to the metal banda.` As shown in Fig.

2, the brackets 13 are arranged diametrically 3 opposite. Since the bars11 are adapted to slide freely in the guides referred to and since theyproject a considerable distance below the hinged sections A, it isapparent that when-the animal lowers his head so that the lower ends oi"the -bars 11"are pressed upon the ground the effect will be to open thesections, las in Fig. 1, since the barsll will then slide up -Ward,.andthus raise the sections A through ,the medium of the curved bars 8, andcontrariw'ise'when the animal raises his head so that the bars 11 nolonger press upon the ground the bars will slide downward and thesections resume their normal closed position, as in Fig. 3. Theslotsprovided inthe lower ends of the curved bars 8 permit a certain degreeof adjustment which may be required. Ia'pply a double catch 14 to eachof the bars 1l and secure the same at a point intermediate ot' theflanges 12 of brackets 13. The catches 14 are bars or plates projectingvlaterally from the bars 11 and having notches in their under sides,which when the sections are closed engage studs 15, that project fromthe lower semicircular bands 1.

position, Fig. 3, but will be opened by pressure upon the lower endsofthe bars 11. It will thus be understood that when the animal raiseshis head or in any case when the push-bars 11 are out of contact withthe ground the jaws,

push-bars, and catches resume their .normal position or engagement', asshown in Fig. 3.

l vIt is apparent that the muzzle will prevent an animal from `eatinggrowing crops or injuring trees, te., when being driven through .a eld,-and yet the animal is permitted to vis provided 'with a lock or catchwhich operates independently of the other. In brief,

pressuremust be applied to both push-barsl By this means the sectionsare practically locked when in the closed TOO simultaneously in order toopen the muzzle. It will be perceived that this feature particularlyadapts the muzzle for use as a weaner for young stock and for use inpreventing stock from eating growing crops while passing through them,since in such case the muzzle will only open when the animal lowers itshead to the ground.

The muzzle will be made of diiierent sizes to adaptit for differentanimals and may be applied to calves and colts to aid in weaning them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent` is-- l. The improved muzzle comprising anoseband, sections hinged thereto at opposite points and comprising aseries of semicircular bands whose divergent ends are rigidly connected,guide-brackets attached to the noseband at opposite points and betweenthe pivots of the hinged sections, push-bars arranged slidably in saidbrackets, and side bars pivoted to the sections and also to push-bars,and a locking device comprising catches, attached to the push-bars, andstuds projecting from the sections and engaging the catches when themuzzle is closed, substantially as described.

2. The improved muzzle comprising a noseband, skeleton sectionscomprising a series of semicircular bands which are pivoted to thenose-band at common points and rigidly connected so that their outerends are held divergent, push-bars arranged vertically on opposite sidesof the nose-band, and guides therefor in which said bars are adapted toslide vertically, and means for connecting said push-bars with thesections whereby, when the lower ends of the push-bars strike upon theground, the sections are open so that the animal may graze withoutrestraint, substantially as described.

3. The improved muzzle comprising a noseband, hinged sections which arepivoted to the nose-bandI at opposite points and adapted when closed tocover the nose of the animal, push-bars arranged on opposite sides ofthe nose-band and adapted to slide vertically in suitable guides, meansfor connecting such push-bars with the hinged sections, and means forautomatically locking and unlocking the sections as the push-bars slidedownward and upward respectively, substantially as described.

4. In a muzzle of the character described, the combination, with anose-band and hinged sections adapted to close together by gravity andthus cover the nose ot' the animal, of'

FRANCIS MARION llOWliANll.

Witnesses:

ROBERT WILKnRsoN, W. L. ABBOTT.

